Wednesday, August 1, 2012

How Volunteering Can Lead to a Paid Position

It was recently reported that the number of unemployed people who attended college has exceeded that of high school graduates for the first time ever. There are also a large number of students who attended college but have left without completing their degree due to several factors including increasing student loan debt.

In this fierce job market rather than resort to a job that isn't in your desired field one option you should consider is volunteering your time at a place that takes advantage of your education. While it might not be economically feasible for the long haul, it could be the extra advantage that gets your foot in the door and leads to a paid position.

How can you find a volunteer position?

Scan the local newspaper
Recently I read about a local city program that is helping the homeless in our community. As a photographer I wanted to donate my time to help a worthy cause but also broadened my skill as a photographer. My primary objective wasn't to get a paid position but to expand my repertoire of work and get involved in my community. This has definitely provided me with a wider network of contacts that can ultimately lead to paid photographic work. Plus it gets my name out there to a network I would not have had access to prior to volunteering. Tip: Scan those local newspapers because they often have more information about upcoming opportunities than a broader newspaper might have. [continued on Yahoo Finance]